Daijiworld Media Network - Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 27: Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Sunday demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar following former state Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson’s allegation that Kumar had suggested he contest a Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket.
In a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office, Satheesan termed Thomson’s account “extremely serious” and said it raised questions over the impartiality of the country’s top election official.
Thomson has claimed that the conversation took place during a flight to Delhi in 2016. According to the former chief secretary, Kumar suggested that he could contest the 2019 general election as a BJP candidate after retiring from government service. Thomson said he rejected the suggestion.
The alleged conversation took place several years before Kumar became the Chief Election Commissioner.
Satheesan, however, said the allegation had implications for public confidence in the Election Commission and called for Kumar to step down.
The Chief Minister accused Kumar of taking decisions that benefited the BJP and alleged that he had undermined the transparency and impartiality expected of the poll panel.
However, Satheesan’s statement did not cite any specific Election Commission decisions to substantiate these allegations. He said the controversy had further deepened doubts over the credibility of the poll body.
Satheesan also argued that Kumar’s continuation in office could further erode public confidence in democratic institutions at a time when the Election Commission was already facing criticism over its functioning.
The Chief Minister said Thomson’s claim also reinforced concerns earlier raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Opposition parties have been demanding Kumar’s resignation, while reported differences among members of the three-member commission over the manner in which certain decisions were taken have added to the political controversy.
Thomson’s account has brought an alleged private conversation from 2016 into the broader debate over the independence of the Election Commission. His account remains an allegation, and the material accompanying the Chief Minister’s statement did not include independent evidence establishing what was said during the flight.